Messaging systems often provide voice processing capabilities that are utilized to both process and simulate human speech. One example of such a messaging system is the Communications Application Platform (CAP) (“the CAP system”) commercially available from UNISYS Corporation (Blue Bell, Pa.). The CAP is a configuration of hardware and software that provides data and voice processing capabilities through applications running on a host computer system. The CAP, in combination with a network interface unit (NIU), provides the interface between these applications, called network applications, and a telephone network. The CAP is implemented on selected UNISYS A Series and CLEARPATH HMP NX computer systems (available from UNISYS Corporation (Blue Bell, Pa.)) running the UNISYS MCP operating system. Further details of the structure and function of the CAP are provided in the following issued patents and pending applications, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,004, issued Jul. 21, 1992, entitled “Digital Computer Platform for Supporting Telephone Network Applications”;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,450, issued Jun. 21, 1994, entitled “Telephone Network Applications Platform for Supporting Facsimile Applications”;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,829, issued Jan. 24, 1995, entitled “Digital Computer Platform for Supporting Telephone Network Applications”;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,606, issued Feb. 20, 1996, entitled “Multi-Lingual Prompt Management System for a Network Applications Platform”;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,166, issued May 2, 2000 entitled “Enhanced Multi-Lingual Prompt Management in a Voice Messaging System With Support for Speech Recognition”;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/161/214, filed Sep. 25, 1998, entitled “Multiple Node Messaging System Wherein Nodes Have Shared Access To Message Stores Of Other Nodes”;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/307,014, filed May 7, 1999, entitled “Inter-System Call Transfer”;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/451,077, filed Nov. 30, 1999, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Preventing Hung Calls During Protocol Violations in a Voice Messaging System”;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/636,656, filed Aug. 11, 2000, entitled “Network Interface Unit Having an Embedded Services Processor”; and
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/636,677, filed Aug. 11, 2000, entitled “Adjunct Processing Of Multi-Media Functions In A Universal Messaging System”.
Site support of a voice messaging system is an important aspect of providing and/or maintaining a voice messaging system. While there are many facets of voice messaging system support, automatic speech recognition (ASR) may be difficult to support without proper tools. This particular functionality is often included in current voice messaging systems.
For example, a voice messaging system may prompt a telephone-based subscriber with a prompt such as “Press or say ‘One’”. In response to such prompt, the telephone based subscriber may press ‘One’ on a telephone keypad. Alternatively, the telephone based subscriber may speak ‘One’ into the telephone which generates a voice signal (i.e., a voice message). The voice messaging system receives the voice message, processes the voice message, and attempts to recognize the voice message as a word. In addition to processing the voice message, the voice messaging system may store the voice message in a voice message data store, and may save a call information log record to a log data store. The log record typically includes a timestamp, a mailbox address, a voice message identification, and the like.
A voice messaging system must deal with many different speech accents, background noise, and other variables. As such, ASR techniques are not always sufficiently accurate. When ASR techniques do not successfully recognize a spoken word, site support personnel desire a tool allowing easy access to stored voice messages and to stored call information. However, direct access to a voice messaging system is often limited for reliability and security purposes because granting such access to multiple users may jeopardize the integrity of the voice messaging system.
Moreover, access to a stored voice message and to a stored log record in a voice messaging system is typically cumbersome. That is, a voice messaging system does not usually include user-friendly graphic interfaces normally associated with personal computers or other processors.
Further, a voice messaging system typically stores voice messages and log records in different data stores. For example, voice messages may be stored in a voice message data store and log records may be stored in a log data store, as described above. The log data store is typically used for billing purposes and the voice message data store is typically used for site support and troubleshooting. Because the log data store and the voice message data store are typically separate data stores, it is often cumbersome to access a particular voice message corresponding to a particular log record.
Additionally, access to each data store is handled by a separate application. Typically, a voice messaging application interfaces with the voice messaging data store and a log record application interfaces with the log data store. As such, with conventional site support tools, a user (e.g., site support technician) interfaces with two applications to receive voice messaging system data.
For example, a user may access a particular log record from log record data store via the log record application. Typically the log record contains a voice message identification field containing a voice message identification of the voice message corresponding to the log record. The user may extract the voice message identification from the log record. The voice message identification is then used to retrieve a corresponding voice message from the voice message data store. However, this typically is accomplished via the voice message application. A user therefore should be familiar with two applications. Additionally, a user manually enters the voice message identification for use by the voice message application rather than the two applications cooperating to provide the voice message.
Moreover, audibly playing a particular voice message may be cumbersome. For example, a previous site support tool required a user to place a phone call to a special application in a voice messaging system in order to listen to the particular voice message.
In view of the above problems, there is a recognized need for a system and method for accessing voice messaging system data via a personal computer or other processor. The present invention satisfies this need.